With an Elliot Coleman Award in Poetry and a prominent editorial position at W.W. Norton & Company, Jill Bialosky is a formidable figure in today’s literary world. Rarely do college students get the chance to have their work reviewed by a literary figure of such magnitude, but Drexel University delivers.

On November 20th, Bialosky visited my Live Poets class here at Drexel, taught by Harriet Levin Millan, where she reviewed poetry manuscripts from students, offered insights into the rigorous discipline required to be successful in the publishing industry, and discussed her own career as a poet, writer, and editor. As a poet, Bialosky has authored three books of poetry (End of Desire, Subterranean, and Intruder) and two novels (House Under Snow and The Life Room). Her latest book of poetry, 2008′s Intruder, was a finalist in the 2009 Paterson Poetry Prize. Bialosky is also a poetry and fiction editor at WW Norton and Company, one of the oldest and largest employee-owned publishing houses in America.

During class, Bialosky reviewed every selected poem with a meticulous eye and addressed each eager question with equally scrupulous answers. Outside the classroom, Bialosky was calm and reserved — very much the poet — not the boisterous, chatty personality that I would expect from a New York editor. Concluding the session, a few students accompanied Bialosky for dinner and drinks and I got the chance to ask the poet a few questions for DPG.

JS: What poets do you read?

JB: WOW… I wish I was in my office to see who’s in my bookcases. In particular, I would say Gregory Orr, Wallace Stevens, and Larry Levis.

JS: Do any poets inspire you?

JB: This is a hard question. Sylvia Plath, especially her poem “Tulips.” I also like “Wintering,” which is also from Ariel. I’m always inspired by Louise Gluck. I’ve learned so much from the classics, especially Homer’s The Odyssey and Illiad, Ovid’s Metamorphosis, and his love letters.

JS: What are your writing practices, how do you create?

JB: I’m a workhorse; I definitely put in the hours. I usually wake up early in the morning to write. I keep writing separate from editing at Norton. My poems stem from ideas or arguments that I want to explore and come at different angles. Usually, one poem will feed off the other; I introduce new ideas to take each poem further.

JS: As an editor, are you ever inspired by the poets that you edit?

JB: The writers that I work with set such high bars in poetry and fiction; although I’ve always been inspired by hearing their writing process and learned from other poets’ discipline, I don’t really get inspired by editing. Every poet has their own voice.

Visit Jill Bialosky’s website to read excerpts of her work.

Jordan Schilling is a senior at Drexel University majoring in English. He is the editor-in-chief of Maya, Drexel’s literary magazine.